Dissertation Deconstruction: The First Step
Writing a dissertation is a very lengthy, often intimidating endeavor. All too often, because they are unfamiliar with the process, students begin planning their MA dissertation too late and then find themselves overwhelmed, frustrated, and at a complete loss. By following certain steps, however, it is easy to avoid the stress of last minute writing and make the writing process a relatively easy one. The first of these steps is simply to plan out and think about what you are going to do.
The first step is actually thinking, inclusively, about your dissertation writing. You should neither latch onto any one idea too quickly, nor turn down any single idea too fast. If you have a topic in which you are very much interested, think about all the different things you could do with that subject. Be expansive and, most importantly, make sure that any ideas you do come up with are as creative as you can possibly make them.
This next step may seem self explanatory, but it is one a lot of students neglect when they are thinking about a possible dissertation proposal. You need to get your ideas down on paper, especially if you are not sure what your topic will be; this allows you to go back, revise, reconsider, and build upon your ideas.
A lot of students feel various types of pressure from many different people when they finally sit down to seriously think about their Master dissertation. This is not uncommon, and college students are definitely not unfamiliar with being under pressure. However, where your dissertation is concerned, you need to ignore what outside sources expect from you. The exception to this rule is, of course, when you are receiving help from a professor, advisor, or mentor – this is help that you have sought out, and these individuals are more likely to offer advice than expectations. If you let yourself get pressured into writing about a subject which does not interest you, your paper will not be all that it could because, in essence, it will not be your honest thoughts and opinions.
You always need to be aware of how much time you have. If you choose a thesis which cannot be sufficiently proven or disproved by the time your paper is due, your research will not be at all conclusive. Furthermore, if you have time constraints of your own, you need to bear that in mind when considering topics for your dissertation. Do not commit to writing about something that you will not have the time to research properly.
To that end, planning is key. Remember, thinking about your dissertation is only the first step towards writing it. If you are having difficulty choosing between a few different subjects, then make yourself a time line. Give yourself a certain amount of time to think, to prepare your proposal, to conduct the necessary research, to write the actual paper, to share your results, and then to do any necessary revisions on your dissertation.
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Tags: dissertation, dissertation proposal, Dissertation Writing Guide, MA dissertation, Master dissertation, thesis
